Fanatec has announced a new upgraded CSL Universal Hub V2. It features improvements over the original, and is available in a variety of budget-friendly wheel rim bundles.
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Many Fanatec products have seen an upgraded V2 version over the past year. These upgrades have rolled out to many products including the CSL Elite pedals, and many steering wheels such as the P1 and F1 Esports wheels.
The latest product to be upgraded is the CSL Universal Hub V2. This product acts as a hub where you can attach almost any wheel rim and still have access to a range of features.
Fanatec hubs all act as a hub to house the electronics for a steering wheels. These are designed to allow you to utilise a range of different steering wheel rims that may not have in-built electronics.
The hub will allow the wheel base to recognise that a steering wheel is attached. And in some cases such as with this Universal Hub V2, there will be additional functionality built in.
This CSL Universal Hub V2 features a range of push buttons, switches, a digital screen and a pair of shifter paddles. This means that if you attach a third party wheel rim or a bare wheel rim with no electronics. You will still be able to have control over your car during a race thanks to the built-in functionality.
With this hub being a part of the CSL product range, it utilise budget-friendly materials to provide an entry-level experience. This results in a lot of plastic all around, with metal only being used as support.
Despite this, there is a good amount of adjustability with this Universal Hub V2. There is a slider built in which allows you to adjust the width of the hub. This lets you adjust the hub to fit perfectly with a range of wheel rims.
There are also a set of pre-drilled holes that can accommodate a wheel rim with a 3 x 50mm or 6 x 70mm pattern. The new CSL Universal Hub V2 is available to buy right away with stock ready to ship immediately.
The price of this upgraded hub is exactly the same as the original. The Fanatec CSL Universal Hub V2 costs $/€149.95.
Being the same price as the original is great considering the upgrades that have been made to this hub. You can also pay another $/€50 and grab a steering wheel rim to use with this Universal Hub V2.
You can also buy a range of new steering wheel bundles that include a steering wheel rim and the new CSL Universal Hub V2. Each of these steering wheel bundles can be picked up for under $/€200 which represents a large saving on buying a wheel rim and hub individually. Below is a list of each bundle currently available.
| Bundle | Price |
|---|---|
| CSL Steering Wheel 320 V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel 320 Alcantara V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel R300 V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel Flat 1 V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel Flat 2 V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel GT V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel GT Alcantara V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel Round 1 V2 | $/€199.95 |
| CSL Steering Wheel R330 V2 | $/€199.95 |
The improvements of this CSL Universal Hub V2 vs the original CSL Universal Hub are mainly to the shifter paddles as well as some build quality improvements.
The two shifter paddles have been slightly redesigned and include a textured pattern to both the front and rear. There are some internal shifter improvements to make the overall shifting feel a little more positive.
The Best F1 24 Racing WheelsMore importantly though is the improvement to the build quality. There is a new metal brace that is designed to reduce any flex. Fanatec state that this improved bracing allows for increased rigidity up to 23%.
The overall aesthetic of this new V2 hub is also improved, mainly thanks to new button faces. The original hub utilised brightly coloured buttons. This has changed with the V2 hub with the introduction of black buttons that feature icons printed on them.
The colour for each button is still there, but is no a much more subtle ring around each button. This change makes the V2 hub look much more grown up and less toy-like.
Below is Fanatec’s launch video showcasing the new Universal hub V2 along with a range of new wheel rim bundles.
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Rich is the co-founder, and one of the main F1 setup creators and content writers for SimRacingSetups. With over a decade of experience as a graphic designer, marketing director, competitive sim racer and avid motorsport fan, Rich founded SimRacingSetup.com to share his passion and knowledge of sim racing and Formula 1 with other sim racers.
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